On September 18, 2019, the city of Elmira, New York officially opened the doors on the centerpiece project of its downtown revitalization effort. Developer Park Grove Realty has constructed a 65,000 square-foot, mixed-use development at 100 West Water Street in the city center.
Park Grove Realty Partner Andrew Bodewes said, “Park Grove is pleased to be a part of the efforts to transform Elmira. The apartments are fully leased and occupied two months after completion. The Governor’s revitalization plan is working and the County and City deserve credit for their assistance and vision to improve Elmira. We thank the Governor’s Office, County and City for their vision and support. We look forward to continued progress in the revitalization of Downtown Elmira.”
Typical apartment at 100 West Water Street.
“As we focus on reenergizing Elmira’s city center, the West Water Street project will help ensure that the Southern Tier continues to soar, laying the foundation for future growth and development across the entire region,” New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said. “Today’s ribbon cutting is just another testament that our Downtown Revitalization Initiative is working to boost local economies all across the state.”
In a private communication with REVITALIZATION publisher Storm Cunningham on October 8, 2019, City of Elmira Mayor Daniel Mandell said, “Elmira is undergoing a renaissance. We have several other projects which have been recently completed and other adaptive projects getting ready to begin. On our southside of the City we recently had an affordable senior living complex erected on a former high school athletic field, Maple Avenue Apartments. On South Main Street, a historic building was renovated into affordable apartments and commercial space. In the same area, several blighted homes were demolished and new town houses have been constructed. On the City’s eastside a former blighted low income housing complex, Jones Court, has been totally renovated and turned into affordable apartments with 20 apartments set aside for homeless veterans.”
Elmira Mayor Dan Mandell.
The 100 West Water Street project was supported by $4 million through Governor Cuomo’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, which was awarded to the city during round one of the Governor’s transformative initiative in 2016. Another $2.3 million came from Empire State Development through the Restore NY Communities Initiative. Additionally, Chemung County and Southern Tier Economic Growth provided incentives for the development.
“Downtown Elmira is rich in culture and history, and we are building the momentum of excitement, growth, and prosperity in the area,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. “I was proud to announce Elmira as a Downtown Revitalization Initiative award winner, along with the winning projects as part of the DRI and return again today to mark the opening of the West Water Street development. The project added 51 market-rate apartments, which are already fully occupied, along with new businesses in commercial and retail space. The DRI is helping to make Elmira’s downtown more accessible and business-friendly, while increasing the use of the Chemung waterfront to enhance quality of life and strengthen the economy.”
The project is consistent with Southern Tier Soaring, the regionally designed economic development plan which is growing the economy and creating new opportunities by investing in city centers.
Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs Harvey Stenger, President of Binghamton University, and Judy McKinney-Cherry said, “The DRI investment is truly working to help downtown Elmira become more accessible and business-friendly while at the same time working to attract young professionals to the area. This project has helped to breathe new life into this beautiful city, ensuring that it is a critical player in the Southern Tier Soaring Upstate Revitalization Initiative vision.”
Other DRI-funded projects include the rehabilitation of the Centertown Parking Garage, the creation of a walkable and inviting Clemens Square and enhancements to Mark Twain Riverfront Park which will include an elevated boardwalk.
Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss said, “The City of Elmira and its downtown play a vital role in the overall success of Chemung County when it comes to economic development and attracting new and keeping existing businesses healthy in the Southern Tier. The newly constructed, mixed-use development at 100 W. Water Street is one of the first steps in recreating and revitalizing our downtown area. The partnership between the state, the county and the city, as well as the private sector has brought this project to fruition. As downtowns and Main Streets across the country undergo a renaissance, this project will ensure that Elmira’s downtown keeps pace. I would like to thank the Governor, the City of Elmira, Park Grove Realty and all of our partners for making this project a success.”
Governor Cuomo’s game-changing Downtown Revitalization Initiative is working to transform downtown neighborhoods statewide into vibrant communities where the next generation of New Yorkers will want to live, work and raise families. Participating communities are nominated by the state’s 10 Regional Economic Development Councils based on the downtown’s potential for transformation, and each community is awarded $10 million to develop a downtown strategic investment plan and implement key catalytic projects that advance the community’s vision for revitalization.
Recognizing the momentum underway in the city, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine earlier this year committed to constructing a two-story, 52,628 square-foot building at the vacant Arnot Park in downtown Elmira. Known as LECOM, they will invest nearly $20 million to construct the building on the Elmira College campus to accommodate a new medical school program, attracting students who will fill the need for physicians in the Southern Tier.
Senator Thomas O’Mara said, “Through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the city of Elmira is building a number of exciting foundations, including this critical mixed-use centerpiece on West Water Street, that we are hopeful will lead to short- and long-term community revitalization and economic growth. It is important to note that the residential units in this project were 100% leased prior to the project’s completion, which highlights the great need for these types of projects in the City of Elmira and bodes well for its future success. We are grateful to the Cuomo administration, our local DRI planning committee, and the important public input that’s helped Elmira move forward. These Elmira-based projects represent exciting and fantastic additions to a city that’s a cornerstone of the entire Southern Tier region.”
Strategically located between major commercial corridors, Elmira’s compact and walkable downtown is well-positioned to become an active, desirable and diverse college community. The downtown development will cater to the needs of new residents attracted by the recent growth of the region’s health care industry and impending college expansions.
Southern Tier Economic Growth President and the CCIDA Executive Director Joseph Roman stated, “This project is truly one about partnerships where the State, County, City, and private sector came together to foster one of the most significant new construction projects for Elmira’s downtown in recent years. We are very excited about the new housing and commercial development the project brings to the downtown area and would like to extend our appreciation to Park Grove Realty for making this investment in our community.”
Elmira Mayor Dan Mandell concluded, “The Governor’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative is working to transform Elmira’s downtown into a vibrant place where people will want to live, work and raise their families. This mixed-use residential/commercial property along with all the other projects occurring throughout the City clearly demonstrates that Elmira is undergoing a resurgence.”
Images courtesy of Park Grove Realty.